This invention relates in general to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing data input interface for a pen-based computing system, and more particularly to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing an adaptive input pen mode selection to automatically select existing data items in support of editing operations.
Pen input based computing systems are becoming increasingly prevalent with the creation of hand-held computing system. When a user enters data into a pen input based computing system, typically the hand-held computer operates in one of a number of input operating modes. These operating modes may include an ink pen input mode, a text input mode, and a data item selection mode. The operation of the hand-held computer may differ greatly depending upon the operating mode in which the computer is currently set.
When the computer is operating in the ink pen input mode, pen strokes typically are treated as entering graphical pen strokes onto a data window in a similar manner to the drawing of a line onto a sheet of paper. When the computer is operating in the text input mode, the user typically uses a soft input window to enter text characters as if printing or typing at a keyboard. Finally when a computer is operating in the data item selection mode, the pen strokes are interpreted as an instruction to select the data items over which the pen stroke is made.
A user switches between these operating modes by indicating which operating mode is desired using a control input. Control inputs are typically used to specify any number of operational parameters such as input mode operation of a pen input based computing system. These systems typically require the user to constantly change the operating mode between the possible operating modes using the control inputs. As such, a user may interact with the control inputs to constantly switch the operating mode of the user interface between every pen stroke if a complex set of data items is to be edited.
Typically, a user may toggle between one input mode and the data item selection mode as data items are edited, deleted, and replaced. This requirement that the user continually provide input commands to switch the operating mode of the pen input based computer as part of an editing operation decreases the user efficiency in entering data and editing existing data items.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing an adaptive pen mode selection that automatically switches the operating mode from an input data mode to the data item selection mode when a pen stroke is made over an existing data item to permit it to be selected for editing, deletion and replacement. The adaptive pen mode selection provides an improved user interface by returning the user to a previously specified operating mode when the selection operation has been completed in order to allow the user to continue entering data in the user specified operating mode.
The great utility of the invention is that the user of a pen input based computing system, such as a hand-held computer, does not need to change the operating mode of the computer to a data item selection mode using the control inputs in order to select one or more data items for editing. This utility will improve the user efficiency in operating the pen input based computing system.
One aspect of the present invention is a method of providing an adaptive pen mode selection within a pen input based computing system having one or more user selected operating modes including an ink pen input mode, a text input mode, and a data item selection mode. The method comprises detecting a pen stroke having a location within a window on adisplay of the computing system, determining the location of the pen stroke upon the display of the computing system, and determining a location of all existing data items displayed within the window containing the location of the pen press. If the computer is operating in the data item selection mode, the method selects all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke. If the computer is not operating in the data item selection mode, the method determines whether the user desired to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke and selects all data items determined to be intended to be selected by the pen stroke.
Another aspect of the present invention is a computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a set of computer instructions for providing an adaptive pen mode selection within a pen input based computing system. The computing system has one or more user selected operating mode including an ink pen input mode, a text input mode, and a data item selection mode. The computer data product comprises instructions that detect a pen stroke having a location within a window on a display of the computing system, determine the location of the pen stroke upon the display of the computing system, and determine a location of all existing data items displayed within the window containing the location of the pen press. If the computer is operating in the data item selection mode, the computer data product instructs the computing system to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke. If the computer is not operating in the data item selection mode, the computer data product instructs the computing system to determine whether the user intends to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke and select all data items determined to be intended to be selected by the pen stroke. The pen stroke possesses properties including the location including a starting location, and ending location, a direction, and one or more segments of constant slope. The properties of the pen stroke are used in determining whether the user intends to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke. The existing data items possess properties including a data type, a position, a size, and a selection location, and a persistence age. And the properties of the existing data items are used in determining whether the user intends to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a pen input based computing system having adaptive pen mode selection within one or more user selected operating mode including an ink pen input mode, a text input mode, and a data item selection mode. The computing system comprises a programmable processor, a user display configured to generate pen strokes corresponding to user created pen movements across the display, one or more data items having properties including a data type, a position, a size, and a selection location, and a persistence age, an user interface module for capturing user generated pen strokes, and a data item input module for determining whether data items are to selected by a pen stroke. The pen stroke possesses properties including the location including a starting location, and ending location, a direction, and one or more segments of constant slope. And the data item input module determines whether the user intends to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke and selects all data items determined to be intended to be selected by the pen stroke.